Who are J&M?

Our Story

What if we told you that your life isn’t your own until you choose it to be.

That’s what we discovered.

Back in 2011 we were living what we thought was the American dream. We both had great jobs, lived in a city we loved (near friends and family), and we figured the next thing we were supposed to do in our young-married lives – was to buy a house. But then came these questions…

“Why are we living our lives this way?”

“Is this the life that we want?”

It wasn’t.

Something kept telling us that life could be different if we wanted it to be. That adventure with uncertainty seemed more attractive than the so called, conventional “right way” to live one’s life.

You’ve heard it before, something like, “Go to school. Get a job. Get married. Buy a house. Start a family. Work till you are able to retire. Retire and enjoy what time you have left until the end.” (feel free to rearrange the order).

We aren’t saying this is a bad life.* What we are saying is that it didn’t feel right for us. It wasn’t the lives we wanted. We wanted to write our own script, be our own authorities of our own lives.

*We were also starting to question the definition and validity of what a ‘successful’ life is. Can it and should it be defined by others?

We felt a longing for something different and more importantly, wanted our lives to accurately reflect who we are, what we believe in, and most importantly, what we value.

We realized that in order to create our own pathway and live out our dreams we would have to do two things:

Simplify our lives and focus on the things that matter the most to us.

Live with more intentionality and embrace being unconventional if need be.

Work on making intentional living a lifestyle, part of the core of who we are

Thanks to living “Simply Intentional“, we feel extremely blessed for our lives, the ones that we created for ourselves.

There is no ONE way to live intentionally. It looks different for everybody because each person’s values are different. That’s why we hope to use this blog to share our journey, other peoples’ stories, and to promote organizations, products, and ideas that encourage intentional living.

“Focus on what is most important to you, then make intentional life choices which will reflect these values.”

Team Chang

Michelle is thoughtful, passionate, direct, a go-getter, follow througher (not a word, I know), event planner and coordinator, speaks French, Spanish (and wants to learn more languages), detail oriented, wonderfully witty, loves to communicate through her eyes, lover of people but not overly expressive, fond of learning, highly artistic and creative, loves all things simple and efficient, devoted to social justice and is a closet goof. She is a huge fan of The Voice, mysteries, sweets (especially chocolate), and loves baked goods. – J

Jedd is outgoing, fun, and funny. He cares deeply about people, loves his family ad friends, and enjoys helping others find their life calling or “vocation.” He is a big picture, big idea person, an energetic communicator, and has a true sense of appreciation for life. He loves to dance, sing, play guitar, surf, take photos, cook, and keep up-to-date on technology and outdoor gear. – M

We love God. We love people. We try to follow Christ as best as possible and are growing everyday as individuals and as a couple. Currently we are travelers, house/pet sitters, adventurers, bloggers, and small business owners trying to live the best, unconventional life we can. We are Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) having recently served in Jamaica (see our Peace Corps Info page for more on that). We love to laugh and be outdoors. We LOVE to eat (and cook), especially Pad See Ew and anything at Jade Bistro in Portland. We love to travel and discover new things about life and ourselves. We love to dialogue and learn from others. We enjoy lying out in the sun at parks, creating art (although we are not artists), U-picking berries, babysitting, being goofs, laughing at each other, hanging out with family and friends, taking pictures, smiling, running, reading inspiring books, singing and playing music, living simply, and trying our best to be authentic and real as much as possible. We LOVE to travel (we might have said that already). We try not to be too boring…

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I just quickly looked thru your blog and caught a glimpse of how wonderful and truly intentional the two of you seem to be. It is so amazing to see people (who are also Believers) living with such perspective and love in their hearts. Thanks for stopping by givenamission too!

Thank-you for sharing your thoughts and adventures with all of us “blog followers.” I’m eagerly anticipating to hear the stories to come as you embark upon this newest adventure. And thanks for being such a godly example of what it a truly Christ-centered marriage looks like. I can’t wait to see what He has in store for you!

Hi and thanks for following my blog. I’m excited to see that you like REI, too. My hubby’s an REI supervisor and loves everything about the outdoors. I love your pics, too. I’ll definitely be back to visit again.

Hi Michelle & Jed, I’m following your blog and getting excited, . My departure date for JA is March 13 and that time will pass fast. Hope to meet you when we are both in JA. Especially appreciated your list of things to pack, your comments were very insightful…do have one question though…I really like cargo pants, mostly for their functionality, would these be OK or do I need to look at some a little dressier?

Hey Paul, thanks for following the blog and excited to meet you as well when you get to the island. Cargo pants are ok, but I would suggest you have one nice pair of pants. You’ll need them for special events and it’s a cultural thing to look your very best at these events. 🙂 Hope this helps and if you have any other questions, let us know.

Really enjoy reading about your experiences in JA. I am a RPCV who served in Morant Bay from 2000-2002 who is also from Portland, OR. It was quite the culture and weather change from the Northwest. When I first heard that people don’t go outside in the rain I laughed and then I experienced Jamaica rain and realized why when I tried to go about 100 feet with an umbrella and was soaked from the knees down, nothing like the rain in Portland! My experience as a PCV was one of the best and hardest experiences in my life and I still draw from that experience in my every day life. I truly believe that PC Motto “The Toughest Job You Will Ever Love” reigns true. Enjoy your time in JA! Blessing – Mandy

Hi Mandy. Thanks for the comment. We haven’t been to that side of the island yet but hope to one day. Your words are so true. It’s been a great experience overall but we’ve definitely had our fair share of challenges and have definitely got caught in a storm here and there. Are you still in the NW? We know some RPCVs in that area who just returned from JA if you ever want to connect. Thanks again. J

Thanks for stopping by and following my blog. I love to see people living intentionally like you two seem to be and serving others! Hope you both have a blessed afternoon and I look forward to keeping up with yall!